Believe in honesty, integrity, hard work and be positive to succeed in your life, propounds Dr. Sachin Vernekar for the youth

Interview by Yash Panchal

Dr. Sachin Vernekar currently holds the position of Dean FMS, BV (DU) and Director atBVP IMED Pune. He has an immense teaching experience of 33 years. He also has 26 years of concurrent administrative experience as Director of various B-Schools in Maharashtra and Delhi. His areas of specialization are Marketing, Human Resource Management,and Entrepreneurship Development. He has visited more than 30 universities as DEC, UGC expert committee member, 15 institutes for NBA accreditation and more than 100 institutes as an AICTE expert committee member.

Dr. Vernekar’s 59 research papers have been published in national and international journals. He also has 7 books to his credit. He has organized/participated in more than 250 conferences/ workshops/ seminars/ MDPs/ FDPs. He is the recipient of various awards as well.

Experience in the educational industry

It is the education sector which builds youth for the nation. We, the Indians, have great Intelligent Quotient(IQ), Emotional Quotient (EQ), Spiritual Quotient (SQ) and Competition Quotient (CQ). I have been working in this field since 1984 in various capacities as faculty,Director and Dean. We always try as a team to expose our students to the finer and practical aspects of management and entrepreneurship.

Dr. Sachin Vernekar’s philosophy of leadership

I believe in honesty, integrity, determination, dedication.

I have been working for Bharati Vidyapeeth since 1985. At the age of 30, I was promoted as in-charge Director of Institute of Management, Solapur by Honorable Dr.Patangrao Kadam, Founder Bharati Vidyapeeth. I was in charge of Bharati Vidyapeeth Delhi campus for 11 years (2001 to 2012). I believe in teamwork and empowerment. I like to lead by an example and therefore adapted my leadership style according to the situation.

Significant challenges faced as the Director of the prestigious Bharati Vidyapeeth University

In this VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) world, change is the only factor which is constant. Earlier, we used to have strategic plans for 10 to 20 years ahead,but today we think about every quarter. In the educational field with the developments in ICT, there are many challenges. The institutions and the faculty need to adapt and use the changing technology in the interest of all the stakeholders.

Building a positive culture among students different backgrounds

I call my institute Mini-India. We have students from almost all the states and 15 countries. Because of the family culture developed by our management, we treat every student as a family member and take care of them as guardians.

There are counselors, mentors for the overall development of students, leading to a positive culture and atmosphere in the campus.

Placement opportunities available at the institute and efforts to push the envelope further

At IMED, through the 7 tier counseling, 5 tier feedback system, every attempt is made to understand the students and offer them the quality inputs for their holistic development, placement and entrepreneurship development. The CRC of IMED has developed a with more than 300 companies through guest lectures, IIPS, HR Meet, Alumni Connect, Seminars, Conferences, etc.Every year, more than 150 companies participate in our placement drive giving placement to more than 90% of our students opting for placements. The highest package is 54 Lacs (international) and 14 Lacs (domestic).

Must-have qualities to excel in management

One needs to the conceptual, technical and HR skills to excel in management.

Major changes witnessed in the educational industries over the years

As stated above, the education sector is also moving from analog to digital world.Every attempt must be made by the educational institute to offer the programmes and courses tailored to the needs of the industry and society. The programs like India, Skill India, by the Government of India have also helped the educational sector to bridge the skill gap in the economy.

Future plans for the institute

Our institute has been ranked in top 50 in India for consecutively 3 years by NIRF, MHRD Government of India. We want IMED to be in the Top 20 in India. We not only want to develop managers and entrepreneurs but also the leaders.

Suggestions for the current youth and the aspiring students

I always feel that one who is well placed is blessed and never stressed. My only suggestion to current youth and aspiring students is to believe in honesty, integrity, hard work and be positive to succeed in their life. Ultimately, it is the combination of Karma, Bhakti and Gyan that matters in every field.